Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Clinique Neuro-Outaouais offers a wide breadth of treatments to cater to the various symptoms of PTSD.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a serious and multifaceted disease which can be complex to treat. Symptoms may include:

flashbacks

hyperarousal

sleep disorders

intrusive thougths

emotional numbness

exagerated startle response

avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli

At Clinique Neuro-Outaouais, we offer a variety of services for effective treatment of most of these issues.

rTMS

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is one of several tools used in the new rapidly evolving field of therapeutic neuromodulation, and has already proven useful to people suffering from PTSD.

The brain can be viewed as an electrical organ. Neurons (brain cells) communicate with each other via electrical-chemical signals. Each neuron is physically connected to; ten thousand other cells, on average. Various medical conditions will alter these connections and lead to regional imbalances in the metabolic activity of neurons.

Therapeutic neuromodulation’s goal is to modify the metabolic activity of neurons in certain areas of the brain. It does this by applying small focal electrical currents to specific areas of the brain. It can do this through brain implants, applying direct current to the scalp or via an electromagnet such as in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The electromagnet is essentially a large butterfly shaped coil. When a current is passed through the coil a magnetic field is generated. By holding the coil to the scalp and switching the magnetic field on/off it can induce a small focal electrical current in the cortex (superficial layer of the brain). With repetitive stimulation you can induce a long lasting (several months) change in the metabolic activity of the neurons within the area being stimulated.

Depending as to which area of the brain is stimulated rTMS has been found to be beneficial therapeutically in a growing number of medical conditions.

Side Effects

Transcranial magnetic stimulation often causes minor short-term side effects. These side effects are generally mild and typically improve after the first week or two of treatment. They can include:

Headache,

Scalp discomfort at the site of stimulation,

Tingling, spasms or twitching of facial muscles,

Light headedness,

Discomfort from noise during treatment.

Serious side effects are rare, they can include:

Seizures,

Mania, particularly in people with bipolar disorder,

Hearing loss due to inadequate ear protection during treatment.

More study is needed to determine whether transcranial magnetic stimulation used repeatedly over years may have any long-term side effects.

Process

Bring a list of what you’re taking to your appointment and include dosages and how often you take them.

You will need to have a non diagnostic MRI of the brain at a private MRI clinic (MRI St-Joseph). This is necessary for us to use our neuronavigation system.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation isn’t invasive, doesn’t require anesthesia and can be performed in a doctor’s office. You don’t need to arrange for someone to drive you home after treatment.

Costs

Private MRI: $375

(The numbers of sessions vary from one individual to the next and for each medical condition treated. On average, for depression, 30 sessions over 6 weeks is recommended.)

Neurogym

NeuroGym® is a one-of-a-kind rehabilitation centre with techniques and patented tools that have been developed over more than 20 years of research and clinical work in the field of neurologic rehabilitation.